Start from listening to and learning from the teachings

Trivial matters may become heavy life burden when we are down. Cultivation recharges the mind every day, just like having your cell phone charged every day.

Q: Sincere obeisance to you, Ven. Master! I am afflicted by a thought. May master be merciful to guide me. The wrong deeds I made in the past keep me living with regret and restlessness, and are always on my mind; I confessed, and tried to forget it but failed. Will I never be free from the previous evil-doing? Will they haunt me even in the future lives? How can I free myself from it?

A: What happened yesterday is like yesterday which is over, and what happens today is like a brand-new day. Sincere repentance reduces and clears the evil karma; Replace evil conducts with joyful benevolent deeds. Repentance is like washing clothes by removing dirt from clothes rather than staring at stains with regret but doing nothing every day.

Q : Hello, Ven. Master! Must I rely on a teacher to practice the Buddha Dharma? I think doing Vipassana meditation is easy, and I don’t know why so many people are practicing Samatha. From my understanding, Vipassana is to put down all the delusion and attachment, and to accept and be aware of the surrounding including our body and mind. I may have a shallow understanding, but can I start from here? Can you comment it?

A: Vipassana and samatha meditation are different practices but both are necessary. One must rely on good teachers so as to start from course 101 in our practice. It seems easy to understand or talk about the theories in Buddhadharma, but it’s totally another story when it comes to whether you can experience and verify the Buddhist teachings with your mind and body. Many people equate the theories to Buddha Dharma itself, which is not right.

Q: Hello, dharma master! Why does my mind become weak and I feel tired unexpectedly from time to time? When my mind was in such a state, I felt everything including family, work, and social turn into a heavy burden that I am incapable of coping with. I looked for an escape, but every single attempt of such escape ended up in vain. what should I do?

A: Our minds undergo ups and downs. Trivial matters may become heavy life burden when we are down. Cultivation recharges the mind every day, just like having your cell phone charged every day.

Q: Hello, Venerable Master. I have experienced emotional turmoil recently, in which a little frustration will bring forth negative thoughts. I would feel I dislike anyone and tend to shut down communication, dumping my negative feelings to my family and friends. What should I do?

A: To handle the unpredicted emotional turmoil, we should develop the habits of cultivation and practicing to continuously gather our internal positive energy. We can’t wait until afflictions rise up to start practicing our mind and behaviors. Indeed, when afflictions rise up, it is time to transform our mind with what has been heard and reflected from Buddha Dharma’s learning. So, start your practice right away from listening to and learning from the teachings.